INTERNET

TANZANIA’S RECENTLY OPENED DATA HUB SAVES DAR A ‘DOUBLE HOP’

Communication data from Tanzania will no longer have to be routed through a another country following the establishment of a satellite hub by SatCom Africa Networks, a local data communications company. Prior to the launch of the hub last week, data communication from Tanzania passed through South Africa and Germany among other countries.

Leena Kapadia of Soft-Tech Consultants Ltd said: "All traffic was routed through hubs outside the country, thus necessitating a double hop." SatCom Africa Networks is a partnership between a local private entrepreneur and Intelsat of the UK. Tanzania has eight data communication service providers, two fixed line operators, four cellular operators and 17 Internet service providers.